Opposition to Cyber-Security Bill Explodes

A coalition of privacy groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, ramped up an online campaign Monday against a cyber-security, or anti-piracy, bill wending its way through the Republican-controlled House, The Hill reports.

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), authored by Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., and co-sponsored by more than 100 members of Congress, would eliminate barriers that discourage companies from sharing information about cyber-attacks.

Members of the coalition against the legislation, however, say the bill is too broad. “We think it allows companies to share way too much sensitive and private information with the government, everything from Internet use history to the content of e-mails,” said Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel of the ACLU.

Growing opposition to anti-piracy measures — SOPA in the House and PIPA in the Senate — threatens passage of the legislation, as it did earlier this year. Online activists, who muster support with the lightning speed of the Internet, have answered the new call of postings by members of the coalition.

In January, Google collected more than 4 million signatures on an anti-SOPA petition in January, The Hill reported.

House Republican leaders had planned to pass the legislation the week of April 23.